A free luxury cruise to advise the chef on Scandinavian food seems a wonderful chance to Darina Lisle: it means two weeks away enjoying every comfort with her husband, DCI William Pigram. The ship has an interesting assortment of passengers and a crew dedicated to their entertainment amongst the glories of Norway's spectacular fjörds. All seems set fair for a wonderful time. Then one of the ship's officers disappears and the question is asked: could he have thrown himself overboard, or was he pushed? William is enlisted to help investigate, spending time questioning the crew and officers. An abandoned Darina becomes involved with the other passengers and finds unexpected tensions amongst them: mischief-making, prejudice, ambition, and greed, all threaten scandal, and produce another tragedy.